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Australian men are in crisis, with suicide rates rising. If you or someone you know needs help, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au In an emergency, call triple-0 A SUICIDE EPIDEMIC Men in Australia are in crisis. This week, roughly 45 men will take their own lives. That’s based on analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data from 2017, a year in which 2348 blokes died by suicide across the country. It’s an increase of 10 per cent on the previous year, with deaths in almost every single age group and state rising — some in the high double digits. And while those numbers are shocking, they don’t paint a picture of the indiscriminate and tragic nature of male suicide. While the characters in this story are fictional, they are representative of a crisis that’s being inadequately addressed and woefully underfunded. Of all the suicides in Australia each year, around 75 per cent are men, the majority of whom suffer in silence. If you or someone you know needs help, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au In an emergency, call triple-0 This week is Men’s Health Week, and news.com.au will run the second instalment of its Let’s Make Some Noise campaign to highlight the serious mental health issues plaguing Aussie blokes. To kick off the week of stories of loss, survival and hope, we’ve gone beyond that enormous number — 2348 — to introduce you to some of the men who’ll die this week. PAUL, 35, CONDOBOLIN, NEW SOUTH WALES The highest number of deaths by suicide this week will be in Paul’s 30-39 years age group. Ten men will perish. Paul lives in a rural or regional setting, just like the 26 other blokes who will die this week, and is likely to work in a manual labour job, be it construction or agriculture. Support services out his way are lacking or non-existent, but even if there were adequate options, Paul would be unlikely to reach out for help. Of course, he’s not alone. Roughly, one man engages with a mental health service when they need it for every three women who do. Instead, Paul will suffer in silence. Those around him will be caught completely off guard when he takes his own life in the coming days. And the method he will choose is likely to be violent in nature. JACK, 15, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA The number of boys Jack’s age and younger who took their own lives in 2017 increased by 77 per cent. Like the vast majority of other men, Jack knows something isn’t right but won’t speak up or reach out for help. But he’s in a particularly vulnerable age group. Rates of suicide begin to increase sharply among teenagers aged 15 to 19. Jack probably struggles with a mood disorder, be in depression or anxiety, but his symptoms are likely to be misinterpreted as just typical young boy stuff. Moody. Angry. Acting out. There’s a good chance Jack’s life looks pretty good from the outside, be it his sporting prowess or happy family life. ADAM, 28, AURUKUN, QUEENSLAND Of the 45 men to die by suicide this week, 3 will involve Indigenous men. Adam is one of them, living in a remote or regional area that is severely under-resourced — symptomatic of the broader failure of Indigenous community support. Suicide is the second biggest killer of Indigenous men. Of all suicide deaths among our first peoples, 78 per cent are males. Adam almost certainly has an untreated mental illness and is likely to battle with alcohol or drug use for which he also won’t receive support. Unlike non-Indigenous men, his death probably won’t get as much attention, but his devastated loved ones will grieve just as hard. KEITH, 52, KARRATHA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA Men working in the mining industry are at significantly higher risk of suicide than most other industries. The pressures, physical toll, isolation and demanding nature of fly-in, fly-out work means Keith has been struggling for a while now. Other factors, ranging from marriage breakdown to financial stress and alcoholism, put him at increased risk of mental illness. After peaking in the 40s age bracket, suicide rates begin to drop off, but older men — particularly those in regional and remote locations — continue to struggle. Blokes of Keith’s vintage are also of a different ilk. They definitely don’t speak up, preferring the “she’ll be right” approach. He won’t speak to mates or loved ones. When they catch up for a beer down at the pub, he’ll show no signs of struggling. https://news.com.au/lifestyle/health/…7 days ago ·
